---
slug: "/usage-guide/navigation/introduction"
title: "Introduction"
---

You can get started with Vrite by either [self-hosting](https://docs.vrite.io/self-hosting/docker) it or using the [Vrite Cloud](https://app.vrite.io/auth).

## Sign In

Whatever way you choose to use Vrite, you’ll be first met with the sign-in page. Here you can do one of the following:

- **Sign up** by clicking _I don’t have an account_ and providing your new username, in addition to a unique email and password; You’ll be sent a link to confirm your email address and finalize the process.
- **Sign in** or sign up via GitHub by clicking the _GitHub_ button and going through the OAuth process;
- Sign in using the email and password form;
- Sign in using the _Magic Link_, by providing an email to which a sign-in link will be sent to. It’s also useful when you _forget your password_ (once you’re in, you can change it in the settings).

![Vrite sign-in page](https://assets.vrite.io/6409e82d7dfc74cef7a72e0d/nFCR9EmtUIUG1WcReL2ec.png?w=1000)

## Navigating Around Vrite

![Vrite dashboard](https://assets.vrite.io/65017ed7b0e627e259623b8a/wEKX8XUGgdsD5pskFznOf.png)

To easily navigate around Vrite, you need to get to know the 3 main parts of the UI:

- **Sidebar** — used to navigate between different sections of the UI;
- **Left side panel** — where most side activities like configuration, metadata editing, and team management take place; You can easily **resize** or even **collapse** it entirely by dragging its right-side border;
- **Main view** - the largest area of the viewport, focused primarily on content management (the dashboard) and editing (the editor);
- **Right side panel** — currently only used for the explorer, allowing you to quickly navigate nested content from either the dashboard or the editor; You can open/close it using a button in the toolbar or by dragging the left-side border;
- **Bottom menu** — used for quick access to shortcuts and details, like switching active workspace or variant, and seeing stats of the edited content piece;

### Sidebar

The sidebar is used as the primary means of navigation around Vrite UI. It’s visibly separated into two sections.

**Top section** — contains the options that let you navigate the main view, switching between the _Dashboard_ and the _Editor_;

**Bottom section** — contains options for navigating the side panel:

- _Content piece_ — shows the details and editor for metadata of the selected content piece;
- _Source control_ — used to configure and manage Git sync (pull, commit, etc.);
- _Settings_ — contains multiple sections to configure Vrite;
- _Extensions_ — used to install and configure extensions;
- _Help_ — opens the help section;
- _Profile_ — open the profile dropdown displaying details of the signed-in user and other options;

**Profile menu** contains useful information and options like:

- Profile card - Displays user’s profile image and username, alongside a _Logout_ button;
- _GitHub_ and _Discord_ - links to Vrite repository and community on respective platforms, for quickly getting help or reporting bugs;

![Vrite profile menu](https://assets.vrite.io/65017ed7b0e627e259623b8a/WjlLIpJQtlwOuK9gfD4Ks.png)

### Using Workspaces

The Workspace selection menu (accessible from the bottom menu or using the _Select Workspace_ [command](/usage-guide/navigation/command-palette)) allows you to switch between different workspaces.

![Workspace switching menu](https://assets.vrite.io/6409e82d7dfc74cef7a72e0d/2VuOAx5D8ZUgG3fVjGCEW.png?w=1000)

From here you can see a list of all the Workspaces you’re a member of, with recognizable information like their **name**, **logo**, and **your role** in them.

You can also create a new one by clicking the _New Workspace_ button in the top-right corner.

![Creating a new Workspace](https://assets.vrite.io/6409e82d7dfc74cef7a72e0d/DfTQ8et6exZUd7bVViHYE.png)

Provide a name for the new Workspace and optionally a description and a logo. Then click _Create Workspace_ in the top-right corner and select the newly-created Workspace from the list to switch to it.
